wfn.org | Unity Boards Call for Local Involvement and Education

["Communication Ministries" <wshuffit@cm.disciples.org>]

Date:  April 25, 2002
Disciples News Service
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
E-mail: news@cm.disciples.org
Web: http://www.disciples.org

Contact: Robert Welsh, rwelsh@ccu.disciples.org or Lydia
Veliko, velikol@ucc.org for more information on this joint
meeting or on programs of the CCU and the CFE.

02a-38

CLEVELAND -- At a third annual gathering of the board of
the Council on Christian Unity of the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) and the Council for Ecumenism of the
United Church of Christ, the dominant and urgent challenge
identified for both churches was the task of ecumenical
education and formation for a new generation of leadership.

Meeting in Cleveland, Ohio, in the national offices of the
United Church of Christ on April 8-9, both councils
addressed several common areas of joint work, including
their participation in the new relationship, Churches
Uniting in Christ, an emerging initiative in interfaith
dialogue and work; and, a series of dialogues involving
both Disciples and the UCC with the Alliance of Baptists,
the Moravians, and in the international context, a growing
partnership between Disciples of Christ and the World
Alliance of Reformed Churches. In each of these
involvements, the overarching concern was how to involve
our members and congregations ("the grass roots") in these
important conversations and developments.

In his report to the joint gathering, the Rev. Robert
Welsh, president of the Council on Christian Unity, stated,
"There is an urgent need to rebuild the biblical and
theological foundations around Christian unity for
Disciples in this generation, in congregations, seminaries,
regions, and general ministries.  We must no longer assume
that our folk know, understand, or value Christian unity as
an essential mark of our unity in Christ."  

The Rev. Lydia Veliko, ecumenical officer for the United
Church of Christ, echoed these same commitments as she
identified the need to engage youth and young adults with
the passion for unity and reconciliation that marked the
beginnings of the United Church of Christ - "a passion that
arises not only from the history of the UCC, but from an
understanding of scripture and the Christian faith."

In the joint meeting, the CCU Board and the Council for
Ecumenism shared in a conversation evaluating the Common
Gathering of the UCC General Synod and the Disciples
General Assembly in Kansas City last August 2001.  While
the large majority of the 12,000 persons who attended found
the event to be positive and hopeful, it would be almost a
decade before the two churches could again meet together as
an Assembly/Synod because of long-term meeting commitments.
To keep the momentum going, our ecumenical partnership
considered a proposal regarding next steps in our
ecumenical partnership coming from the Revs. John Thomas
and Richard Hamm, the two General Ministers and Presidents
of the churches. Building upon the discussion in this
meeting, the CCU Board and CFE recommended that the primary
focus be upon a joint national gathering of "younger
clergy" - under 35 years of age - to explore the themes of
mission and unity for their ministry in the 21st century.
Funding for this initiative will be sought from the Lilly
Foundation in its "excellence in ministry program."

The meeting was co-moderated by the chairs of the CCU and
the CFE, the Rev. Jack Sullivan, regional minister in the
Northwest Region of the Disciples, and the Rev. Brian Cope,
pastor of Shiloh UCC in Danville, Pa.  

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